# Everybody has a topic they can bore people to death talking about... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 8, 2012, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-has-a-topic-they-can-bore-people-to-death-talking-about/630882 "2012-08-08T17:32:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Curiosity\_Kills\_Her](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@Curiosity\_Kills\_Her](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Curiosity_Kills_Her)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-has-a-topic-they-can-bore-people-to-death-talking-about/630882/101 "2012-08-10T01:58:11Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > You type well for a one year old. Bet I stick the skydive landing too. Either way. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-has-a-topic-they-can-bore-people-to-death-talking-about/630882/102 "2012-08-10T07:10:54Z")
How automation will result in mass unemployment, and how American society is utterly unprepared to deal with it, from the impact of driverless vehicles, to how the on-line retailers sell vastly more goods employing almost no one. Basically, that every retail industry is going to suffer the same contraction the music and book industry. The fact that the recession is over from the perspective of corporate sales, but unemployment hasn’t recovered… People really don’t want to hear it. ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-has-a-topic-they-can-bore-people-to-death-talking-about/630882/103 "2012-08-10T07:13:16Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > how automation will result in mass unemployment, and how american society is utterly unprepared to deal with it, from the impact of driverless vehicles, to how the on-line retailers sell vastly more goods employing almost no one. Basically, that every retail industry is going to suffer the same contraction the music and book industry. The fact that the recession is over from the perspective of corporate sales, but unemployment hasn’t recovered… > > People really don’t want to hear it. yaaaaaaaaaawn ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-has-a-topic-they-can-bore-people-to-death-talking-about/630882/104 "2012-08-10T08:50:58Z")
Ooh Ooh, Aircraft Markings! What the registry numbers mean on civilian aircraft, and how to read the serial numbers on military jets (like how you can usually tell what year an aircraft was purchased by the Air Force based on the serial number), or how certain units have unique markings owing to some particular heritage (such as the 99th Flying Training Squadron’s red tails, or the checkertails and “My Little Ponies” of the 51st Fighter Wing, or how aircraft belonging to different squadrons in the same wing can be differentiated by the color of- hey where are you all going? Is there a lunch or something…? ---
**Author:** ![Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce7236/32.png) [@Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mona_Lisa_Simpson)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-has-a-topic-they-can-bore-people-to-death-talking-about/630882/105 "2012-08-10T09:44:57Z")
It used to be my son’s fragile health in his first two weeks of life, and how miserable December 2003 was in general, including nasty details of my failure-to-heal Ceasarian section, but now, nearly 9 years later I have kind of let that go. He may have been medically fragile at birth, but he is about 4’6", 70 lbs, happy, healthy, smart gregarious and self directed, so the residual health problems don’t show and don’t need to be discussed in general or particular. My main topics now are my hubby’s business (marketing, fundraising, promotions, and entertainment) and the experiences we’ve had with that. (Everything from running an office, producingh circus programmes, to having some indie band decorate my toilet seat with a little zen garden turd arrangement…“and that’s why we stopped letting bands stay at our house…”) On rereading, I guess my first topic is still my son, but now it’s not how sick he WAS it is how awesome he IS. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-has-a-topic-they-can-bore-people-to-death-talking-about/630882/106 "2012-08-10T11:10:12Z")
> [@cwthree](#): > > Yarn > Spinning (as in making yarn, not the exercise machine) > Dyeing (as in applying color to fiber, not shuffling off this mortal coil in a fit of illiteracy) > Knitting > Crochet, and why knitting is superior to it > Fiber arts in general > Horses > Hoof trimming I love you. That is all.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-has-a-topic-they-can-bore-people-to-death-talking-about/630882/107 "2012-08-10T13:50:44Z")
I’ve been boring people to death talking about _Sherlock_ in the last few days. Le sigh. And I could probably bore people about _Doctor Who_ if anyone ever let me. ---
**Author:** ![Enkel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/df705f/32.png) [@Enkel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enkel)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-has-a-topic-they-can-bore-people-to-death-talking-about/630882/108 "2012-08-10T14:23:08Z")
> [@FloatyGimpy](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > Originally Posted by MsWhatsit View Post > > The intricacies and controversies involved in creating back-of-the-book indexes. > > I think you win. When I read MsWhatsit, my first thought was “hey, there is someone else” - Indexes are actually hugely important to communications and learning in one of my lines of work. A well built, fully linked index is a beautiful thing! ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-has-a-topic-they-can-bore-people-to-death-talking-about/630882/109 "2012-08-10T14:40:22Z")
> [@j666](#): > > A discussion would be a bit much, but I’d like an explanation. Don’t you alphabetize the words by their letters? > > I’m really curious, and if you explain, I promise not discuss S3187. First, I want it to be known that someone _asked_ me about this. Okay, so there are basically two styles of alphabetization: word-by-word and letter-by-letter. There are actually subvariants of letter-by-letter style but I’m not going to get into that. Word-by-word is as it sounds. You alphabetize by word only. The alphabetization stops at the first space or comma, and you don’t consider the second word in the phrase unless the first one is identical to the previous/subsequent entry. Example: West Hollywood West India West Virginia western film genre Westmoreland, Gen. William This is the way I was taught to alphabetize when I was a kid in school. (And no, I don’t know what kind of crazy-ass book would have all of these things as topics. This is just an example.) In letter-by-letter alphabetization, you ignore spaces and commas and treat multiple-word phrases as though they are all one word run together. So the preceding group would look like this: western film genre West Hollywood West India Westmoreland, Gen. William West Virginia I think this style is ridiculous and unintuitive. But a lot of publishers prefer it for whatever reason. My indexing software is set up so that I can just flip a switch to have it work either way (or with any of the standard subvariants) so I don’t have to worry about it. But it’s always nice to know the theory in case the software throws a rod, so to speak. Edited to add: > [@Enkel](#): > > When I read MsWhatsit, my first thought was “hey, there is someone else” - Indexes are actually hugely important to communications and learning in one of my lines of work. A well built, fully linked index is a beautiful thing! My people! ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-has-a-topic-they-can-bore-people-to-death-talking-about/630882/110 "2012-08-10T14:56:45Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > **Temperature**. This includes temperature measurements, temperature standards, scales, calibration, etc. Fiber-optic temperature sensors, especially as used in environmental field research. **Crafter Man** and I will be over in the corner, in case you want to avoid us. And MATLAB. ---
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-has-a-topic-they-can-bore-people-to-death-talking-about/630882/111 "2012-08-10T15:00:07Z")
> [@Curiosity\_Kills\_Her](#): > > On my birthday. (Wed) Numero uno. That’s awesome! I’m guessing it’s a tandem jump you’re doing? ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-has-a-topic-they-can-bore-people-to-death-talking-about/630882/112 "2012-08-10T15:13:23Z")
Primitive weapon making, primitive bows and arrows, catapults, atlatls. primitive culture etc. ---
**Author:** ![Enkel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/df705f/32.png) [@Enkel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enkel)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-has-a-topic-they-can-bore-people-to-death-talking-about/630882/113 "2012-08-10T15:16:40Z")
One that I’ve recovered from is talking about compost. I could spend hours debating what might be the best way to handle shit. Once I got my shit straight here on the farm, I got over it. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-has-a-topic-they-can-bore-people-to-death-talking-about/630882/114 "2012-08-10T15:23:31Z")
> [@Enginerd](#): > > Fiber-optic temperature sensors, especially as used in environmental field research. **Crafter Man** and I will be over in the corner, in case you want to avoid us. Fiber optic? Too high-tech for me. 😉 Triple point cells and SPRTs get me excited. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Curiosity\_Kills\_Her](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@Curiosity\_Kills\_Her](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Curiosity_Kills_Her)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-has-a-topic-they-can-bore-people-to-death-talking-about/630882/115 "2012-08-10T15:41:11Z")
> [@Bumbershoot](#): > > That’s awesome! I’m guessing it’s a tandem jump you’re doing? I think the thread participants’ eyes are starting to glaze over now, but yes. 😉 I don’t want the responsibility of ‘driving’ while I’m trying to stave off a panic attack, plus I want the freefall. No pulling of the chute immediately upon exit for this girl. For a first jump that means tandem. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-has-a-topic-they-can-bore-people-to-death-talking-about/630882/116 "2012-08-10T15:47:11Z")
The many ins and outs of language family trees: Afro-Asiatic, Algonquian, Altaic, Austroasiatic, Austronesian, Dravidian, Indo-European, Iroquoian, Muskhogean, Niger-Congo, Northwest Caucasian, Siouan, Uralic, to take a few, not to leave out isolates like Basque and Hurrian, and the history of how they compare and exchange and transform linguistic data through universal deep grammar processes, and maybe even interrelate. How I develop vocabulary, grammar, and scripts for my conlangs from _a posteriori_ source material and the universal linguistic principles at work there. The prehistory of Anatolia and its influence on subsequent civilizations in the Mediterranean, Middle East, and eastern Europe. The ancient Mediterranean in general. The history of Western Pennsylvania in the mid-18th century and my genealogy thereof. The elaborate symbolism of Persian Sufi poetry. Minutely exhaustive critiques of the oeuvres of Genesis, King Crimson, and Yes during their classic period roughly 1971–1977. Endless quoting of memorized Indigo Girls lyrics. In-depth analysis of everything to do with _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_. Vegetarian cooking in many cuisines of the world. I have to call a halt here before I go on all day. I love knowledge, think life is endlessly fascinating, and should have said “Don’t get me started” and left it at that. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-has-a-topic-they-can-bore-people-to-death-talking-about/630882/117 "2012-08-10T16:59:24Z")
> [@Mosier](#): > > yaaaaaaaaaawn I know, existential threats to Western civilization are so _dull_. ---
**Author:** ![Woeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/df705f/32.png) [@Woeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Woeg)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-has-a-topic-they-can-bore-people-to-death-talking-about/630882/118 "2012-08-10T17:08:40Z")
Pre-17th Century European Armour History in general Role-Playing Games (Tabletop) Theory of fiction and creative writing ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-has-a-topic-they-can-bore-people-to-death-talking-about/630882/119 "2012-08-10T18:33:22Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > I think you mean keming. _golf dap_ ---
**Author:** ![Engineer\_Dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9fc29f/32.png) [@Engineer\_Dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Engineer_Dude)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-has-a-topic-they-can-bore-people-to-death-talking-about/630882/120 "2012-08-10T19:40:49Z")
> [@Enginerd](#): > > And MATLAB. It’s like a TI-83 calculator, but more cranky. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-has-a-topic-they-can-bore-people-to-death-talking-about/630882.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everybody-has-a-topic-they-can-bore-people-to-death-talking-about/630882.md?page=7)